Pure spin

Jake Tapper reported that at a fundraiser on Tuesday night, Obama seemed to make an argument for foregoing public financing in the general election should he win the nomination. McCain has been hammering Obama as a hypocrite for not sticking with his previous vow to accept public funding. As Tapper noted, Obama sounded like he "previewed his argument to justify this possible future discarding of a principle." Here is what Tapper says Obama said:

"We have created a parallel public financing system where the American people decide if they want to support a campaign they can get on the Internet and finance it, and they will have as much access and influence over the course and direction of our campaign that has traditionally been reserved for the wealthy and the powerful."

It's a good effort, but I don't buy it for a second. Obama is in a difficult position. His financing is tied for first with his rhetorical abilities for his most powerful asset. He would be silly to give up his power to raise $40 to $50 million a month.

But his power hasn't just been in the totals. People who have never given before are submitting $10 at a time on the web. His fundraising has democratized the system like never before; and he may have changed the system forever. Nothing he said in that quote is false.

Still, it's pure spin. He doesn't want to give up the money, so he's trying to justify the back track. It's a good effort, but it comes up a little short. And if Obama is the nominee, he's going to have to make this argument over and over again.